AUBURN — On Monday, 150 miles west of Auburn in Tuscaloosa, the University of Alabama took umbrage with its scheduled 11 a.m. kickoff time against Southern Mississippi on Sept. 21.

"We are disappointed that our game against Southern Miss has been scheduled for a daytime kickoff at home," president Stuart Bell and athletics director Greg Byrne said in a joint statement. "We realize we've played more nonconference day games at home in September than any other SEC team since 2014. There have been a number of conversations with our conference office and they also recognize the challenges these kick times present for our student-athletes and fans."

On Tuesday, 150 miles east of Tuscaloosa in Auburn, Gus Malzahn fired a shot across the bow of his program's cross-state rival.

"Our guys are excited to be back home for our second home game, playing a very solid Kent State game, 6 p.m. kick," the seventh-year head coach said, before digging in. "Personally, I wish it was at noon. We'd have more time to prepare for our next opponent."

OK, maybe that was a completely innocent remark. Maybe Malzahn did simply wish that he, his coaching staff and his players had an extra few hours Saturday after their game against the Golden Flashes to begin their preparations a Sept. 21 game at Texas A&M, which is scheduled to kick off at 2:30 p.m.

But when asked whether that six-hour difference is worth the challenges that come with playing in the noon heat of late September, Malzahn simply smiled.

"That's a good question," he said.

And his answer?

"My answer is I wish we were playing at noon."

SEC schools do not get to decide what time their games kick off on Saturdays. They might offer their opinion, as Bell and Byrne indicated in their statement, but ultimately, those decisions come down to the league office and TV networks.

CBS gets first pick for its "SEC Game of the Week" slot at 2:30 p.m., and ESPN (and SEC Network) figure out the rest from there, choosing from time slots that typically include 11 a.m., 3 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Central Time.

All of the Crimson Tide's first four games this season have or are scheduled to kick off in the afternoon or morning — Duke at 2:30 p.m., New Mexico State at 3 p.m., South Carolina at 2:30 p.m. and Southern Mississippi at 11 a.m.

The Tigers, on the other hand, are about to play their third straight evening game — Oregon at 6:30 p.m., Tulane at 6:30 p.m. and Kent State at 6 p.m. — before their first afternoon kick a week from Saturday in College Station, Texas.

Alabama head coach Nick Saban cited the extreme heat and humidity that has baked the state so far this month as a reason the university president and athletics director would prefer prefer a later kickoff, perhaps in the evening. The heat index in Tuscaloosa rose above 100 degrees during the Crimson Tide's mid-afternoon blowout of the Aggies this past Saturday.

“I know it was a difficult day for our fans because of the circumstances surrounding the weather and I’d like to thank the fans for supporting the team and a lot of people hanging in there to try to support the team,” Saban said Monday. “I think the players really appreciate it. We know it was a difficult circumstance for a lot of folks, and hopefully our administration will continue to work to try to play some of these games at a different time.”

In the six seasons since the SEC Network first came on air in 2014, Alabama has played five August or September home non-conference games at 11 a.m. Auburn has played one.

Unrelated to anything else: Saban played for and started his coaching career at Kent State.

The 2019 Iron Bowl is scheduled for Nov. 30 at Jordan-Hare Stadium. It will probably kick off at 2:30 p.m.

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